Favorite Pancakes

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Kathleen

Cupcake
Joined
Dec 6, 2009
Messages
5,262
Location
Mid-Atlantic, USA
There are several diners around, but my favorite is more than a 40 minute drive away. I will make the trip because of their breakfasts, specifically their pancakes. They have pancakes with bananas, blueberries, nuts, strawberries, minichocolate chips, etc. that are simply to die for. I'm not a shabby cook, but my fruit added pancakes are never as good as what is given to me by the diner.

If anyone makes great pancakes with additions, please share your secret! I'd love not to drive 40 minutes to satsify a banana nut pancake craving.

Thanks!
~Kathleen
 
Well, Kathy, you just gave me a taste for pancakes...thanks.:LOL:

I never mix the fruit into the batter. I have it cleaned and chopped/sliced, ready to go on top of the pancake when it first hits the griddle. If you get the fruit onto the batter quickly enough it sinks in just like it had been mixed in. If you're using blueberries they will stain the pan when you flip, so if you want plain pancakes you might want to make them first. I've done this with apple slices and chocolate chips, too. Haven't tried bananas, but I would think any fruit would be OK. Hope this helps...and I'll be by for my flapjacks as soon as they're done.;)
 
Kathy? *shudders*

Anyhow. Fruit on top is never a problem. I'm seeking fruit IN the pancake like this diner does. It's always flavorful and perfect. Not overly mushy. Not unevenly cooked. Perfect. I wondered whether it was frozen fruit, but I have watched and the fruit is not frozen as they will often take it directly from the produce package and rinse.

When I make it, it will cook unevenly, lack flavor, and even taste green. I'm arrogant enough to believe if they can make it, I can come close. :cool: But I will need help!

~Kathleen
 
Anyhow. Fruit on top is never a problem. I'm seeking fruit IN the pancake like this diner does.

The way CG suggested will get them in the pancake. Right after you pour the batter onto the griddle you sprinkle the fruit in. I've done it with blueberries before.
 
I've done it with blueberries too. And that has turned out pretty well, but has not worked out so well flavor-wise and texture with other items. Specifically, strawberries, bananas, or chocolate chips. Perhaps i'm not getting my fruit evenly distributed or sized. But it is not just the texture. It's the green flavor at times too. Those from the diner simply have tons of fruit flavor.
 
Kathy? *shudders*...................................
~Kathleen
I am SO SORRY Kathleen!:( I remembered wrong...didn't check to be sure of your screen (and, apparently, real) name. I should know...people call me by "Not-My-Name" a lot. Won't happen again.

And vagriller is right: If you pour pancake batter/sprinkle fruit/flip again the side with the fruit will have had it settle into the batter. Trust me and try it - I know it works for me. Gotta be quick with the "sprinkle" part, though, or the batter sets up and the fruit will be close to the surface on that second side. I remember that I actually mix the choco chips or apples right into the batter since they don't "bleed" like berries do. Have done the pour/sprinkle/flip with raspberries, too...yum!

Now I'm going to mix the dry ingredients for pancakes for tomorrow's brunch. Won't be asking DH to take us out after church...he'll thank you.;)
 
I am SO SORRY Kathleen!:( I remembered wrong...didn't check to be sure of your screen (and, apparently, real) name. I should know...people call me by "Not-My-Name" a lot. Won't happen again.

And vagriller is right: If you pour pancake batter/sprinkle fruit/flip again the side with the fruit will have had it settle into the batter. Trust me and try it - I know it works for me. Gotta be quick with the "sprinkle" part, though, or the batter sets up and the fruit will be close to the surface on that second side. I remember that I actually mix the choco chips or apples right into the batter since they don't "bleed" like berries do. Have done the pour/sprinkle/flip with raspberries, too...yum!

Now I'm going to mix the dry ingredients for pancakes for tomorrow's brunch. Won't be asking DH to take us out after church...he'll thank you.;)

Thanks, bunches. I appreciate it. Kathleen is my real name. :)

I'm definitely going to try your sprinkle flip, etc. I have tried it with blueberries with luck. I'd love to try it with apples. Bananas and strawberries have been my major mystery. Even when using ripened bananas, it has a 'green' under-taste. And strawberries are hit and miss with sweetness. With both, the pancake cooks oddly where it is overcooked in places or undercooked.

I guess my real question is: How do you keep the fruit from tasting green or not sweet?

And how do you ensure even cooking with items such as bananas...or even apples?

The diner definitely is not using topline ingredients...but they never have that green under taste and their fruits are always sweet. And their pancakes are always perfect! :)

~Kathleen
 
i have added fruit (banana, strawberry and blueberry) and nut pancakes by putting batter on griddle, let the bottom set a bit then add the fruit and nuts to the top of the uncooked batter shortly before the flip.

here are some corncakes i made the other day for dinner.

Corncakes with corn and bacon added to batter topped with syrup, sour cream and strawberry preserves.

img_873249_0_9630bed093ab99ab1450280daa276bb8.jpg
 
First of all let me just say that we have had few pancakes threads here, you can search for them. Also if you click on number of images ander my posts there are couple of picks of my pancakes.
 
..........
I guess my real question is: How do you keep the fruit from tasting green or not sweet?

And how do you ensure even cooking with items such as bananas...or even apples?..............
~Kathleen
I can't help you with the bananas since I've never put them in pancakes. I do dice the apples and mix into the batter, but I've never noticed a crunchiness or "green" taste. I do notice the fruit being sweet, but that's what I like. I know the apples aren't soft like applesauce, but they don't seem to be raw when I bite down. Now I REALLY have to make pancakes for breakfast!:LOL:
 
Apple pancakes sound great. I've never had them but now I want to try them!

I have had really good apple syrup but, half-way through the pancake, it feels too sweet.
 
I would think that a super pancake batter would be a good place to start, and when that is found, the addition of your fruit or whatever would only be an enhancement to the whole meal. I'm sure you are more than capable of finding or tweaking a basic batter to make a superior batter to your liking, and when that is done, start throwing the good stuff in! :LOL:
 
Kathleen, we had apple pancakes today (DH thanks you for making me have a taste for homemade pancakes ;)) and yes, you can tell the apples aren't fully cooked. But that might have been partly because I forgot to peel them first. Oops! I suppose if you want to taste them but not have "crunchy" you could grate them into the batter. Just a thought...

Selkie, I've been using the recipe from my 35-year-old Better Homes cookbook with great success. Sometimes the basic, sometimes with a bit more milk for thinner batter...but it's always come out fine. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
 
I suggest you put the fruit in the food processor to make it as smooth as possible...mixing in chunks of fruit in the pancake batter makes it lumpy...i have tried adding it and it never turns out right....i love pancakes and with fruits it make it a whole lot better...have u tried putting grated cheese on a pancake batter>? i did and it was good..
 
Personally I love freshness of the fruit in the pancake. And the fact that it tastes uncooked is an added bonus in my book. But everybody have different taste. Things like apple or pear I would grate on the big hole grater. Berries add individually. Peaches or bananas I’d either dice into small dice or thin slices. If you want them to cook more add them into the batter and mix well. That is what I usually do with fruits. Berries I add latter individually.
 
Personally I love freshness of the fruit in the pancake. And the fact that it tastes uncooked is an added bonus in my book. But everybody have different taste. Things like apple or pear I would grate on the big hole grater. Berries add individually. Peaches or bananas I’d either dice into small dice or thin slices. If you want them to cook more add them into the batter and mix well. That is what I usually do with fruits. Berries I add latter individually.

Charlie's one of our pancake experts around here. If you asked real nice, I'd bet he would share his batter recipe.:chef: Also, don't be afraid to go in a completely different direction. Try googling "Dutch Babies" recipe. It's a pancake cooked in the oven that is truly fabulous.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
 
Thanks for all of the awesome ideas! I'm definitely going to be experimenting over the next few weeks. I really appreciate your comments!
 
Back
Top Bottom